Pembroke railway station

Pembroke railway station serves the town of Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Wales.

Pembroke

Welsh: Penfro
National Rail
General information
LocationPembroke, Pembrokeshire
Wales
Coordinates51°40′23″N 4°54′22″W / 51.673°N 4.906°W / 51.673; -4.906
Grid referenceSM991011
Managed byTransport for Wales Rail
Platforms1
Other information
Station codePMB
ClassificationDfT category F1
Passengers
2018/19Increase 32,616
2019/20Decrease 30,406
2020/21Decrease 3,434
2021/22Increase 15,664
2022/23Increase 23,586
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History edit

 
Now demolished station building (October 1967)

On 30 July 1863, Pembroke railway station was opened by the Pembroke and Tenby Railway as the temporary terminus of the line to Tenby. The station originally consisted of small wooden buildings, with a short 150-foot platform. The following year, the line was extended to Pembroke Dock railway station.[1]

A permanent station building was constructed later, built from dressed limestone with a slate roof and three ornamental chimneys. The building contained five rooms; the Station Master's office, a parcels office, a booking office, a general waiting room and a ladies waiting room.[2] Fully glazed canopies were added over the station entrance and platform in the early 1900s, following the takeover of the Pembroke and Tenby by the Great Western Railway.[3] A new shelter was built in 1971, and the main limestone buildings were demolished. This new shelter was in turn was later replaced with a glass panelled shelter.[4]

Facilities edit

Step-free access is provided from both station car parks to the platform.[5] The station is unstaffed and only has basic amenities: the aforementioned waiting shelter, timetable information posters, bench seating and digital CIS displays to offer train running information in real time.[6]

Like many stations in Wales and the North of England, the station was constructed before standard platform heights were established and is very low. In March 2016, the station received a specially designed raised section - a Harrington Hump - to improve accessibility for passengers.[7]

Services edit

 
An Arriva Trains Wales Class 143 at Pembroke

The station is served every two hours (approximately) to/from Swansea via Carmarthen and Whitland on weekdays, with connections for the South Wales mainline available at Swansea.[8] The Sunday service is limited in winter (4 trains each way), but more frequent in the summer months.

On summer Saturdays, the station is also used by Great Western Railway who provided two InterCity 125s in each direction; two to London Paddington, one from London Paddington and one early morning InterCity 125 starting its journey from Swansea. One through train in each direction is named the Pembroke Coast Express. In 2019, the service has continued running with the brand new Class 800 rolling stock.[9]

Preceding station   National Rail Following station
Lamphey   Transport for Wales
West Wales line
  Pembroke Dock
Lamphey   Great Western Railway
London - Pembroke
  Pembroke Dock

References edit

  1. ^ Hogg, John (2001). A Short History of Pembroke Station (PDF). Pembroke 21C. p. 2.
  2. ^ Hogg 2001, p. 3
  3. ^ Hogg 2001, p. 5
  4. ^ "Passenger shelter and information boards on Pembroke railway station, July 2015" Jaggery, geograph.org.uk, Retrieved 15 March 2019
  5. ^ Hogg 2001, pp. 13–14
  6. ^ Pembroke station facilities National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 6 April 2017
  7. ^ "Delight after Pembroke railway station 'Hump' safety works finish".
  8. ^ Table 128 National Rail timetable, December 2018
  9. ^ "South Pembrokeshire stations, including Tenby and Pembroke Dock, welcome new GWR train" Davies, Ruth Western Telegraph news article 30 May 2019; Retrieved 19 August 2019

External links edit

  Media related to Pembroke railway station at Wikimedia Commons